Intel is bringing 12th generation “Alder Lake” desktop CPUs to a new mini PC in its NUC line.
The company provided a first look at the product, dubbed the NUC 12 Extreme “Dragon Canyon,” at CES. According to Intel, the new model will arrive some time this quarter.
In case you’re unfamiliar, the NUC series represents Intel’s effort to create mini PCs. The product line has packed desktop-class CPU power into a small footprint, resulting in powerful hardware that can easily fit in a backpack and later hook up to a monitor.
For example, last year’s NUC 11 Extreme Kit “Beast Canyon” contained an Intel desktop 11th generation Core i9 processor using a case about the size of a shoebox. Despite the small mass, the same case was also capable of fitting a full length graphics card, making it one of the most compact PCs on the market.
The device was so good, it earned a PCMag Best of the Year award. So we’re excited to see what Dragon Canyon can offer. However, the NUC 12 unit on display at CES wasn’t a working model. Instead, Intel showed the hardware disassembled into its various parts, making it unclear what the final product will look like.
Still, the company’s display shows that Dragon Canyon will run a Core i9 Alder Lake CPU that’s packed inside a Compute Element, which houses the motherboard and CPU. The mini PC will also feature support for Wi-Fi 6E, along with Thunderbolt 4 while also maintaining enough room for a full length PC graphics card.
